


Knights of the Old Republic: Planetfall

by c_m_penn



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: Knights of the Old Republic (Video Games)
Genre: Novelization
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-22
Updated: 2020-08-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:54:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25451962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/c_m_penn/pseuds/c_m_penn
Summary: Long ago, thousands of years before the Galactic Empire and its Emperor, an old darkness threatens galactic peace. The Jedi order is fractured, the Republic barely survives. Out of that chaos, one group of heroes will rise up to challenge the Sith. This is their story. It is only the beginning.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 5





	1. Beginnings

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…

Star Wars

Knights of the Old Republic

Long ago, thousands of years before the Galactic Empire and its Emperor, an old darkness threatens galactic peace. The Republic, an ancient bastion of hope and democracy, verges on collapse. The Sith Lord Darth Malak leads an invincible armada across the galaxy, fueled by vengeance at the death of his master, the Dark Lord Revan. No one knows where or how this fleet came into existence.

The Jedi Order has fractured. All across the galaxy, Jedi Knights struggle against their indomitable foe. Many knights fall in battle, many more swear allegiance to Malak, seduced by his power or overcome by his will.

A Jedi Fleet rushes to the Outer Rim world of Taris, in a desperate attempt to halt the Sith’s galactic domination….

\------------------------------------------------------

The Endar Spire broke out of hyperspace above the skies of Taris, and was almost immediately surrounded by Sith fighters blasting its hull. The Hammerhead-class cruiser seemed to float through space, her crew dumbfounded at the instantaneous attack.

“What? How are they already engaging us?” Carth Onasi nearly punched the console. He screamed orders to the crew members around him. Klaxons rang out as the Endar Spire readied herself for battle. The Sith fighters were nothing compared to the Interdictor-class cruiser that now loomed above her.

Bastila Shan, Jedi Knight and commander of the Endar Spire, stood calm in the midst of chaos. People ran back and forth across the bridge, checking readouts, issuing commands, but she searched for peace. Her eyes gazed out the viewport, unseeing.

“It’s the Leviathan.”

“Of course it is! Because why wouldn’t it be.” Carth groaned as he urged his pilots to pull the Spire out of her planetward descent and to aim their laser cannons at the cruiser’s starboard side.

“Malak knew we were coming.” Bastila’s voice was soft. Carth barely heard her.

“Hestia, I said starboard side.” Carth barked at the nearby corporal. He strode over to join Bastila in staring out the viewport at Leviathan’s belly. “You don’t sound so surprised.”

“Should I be? He is the Dark Lord of the Sith after all.”

“He hasn’t been their ‘Dark Lord’ for that long. He should be thanking you for the promotion.” Carth smirked. “Maybe that’s why he’s here?”

“Who knows why the Sith do anything? All they want is blood and destruction,” she retorted tersely.

Petty Officer Nichols interrupted them. “Sir? Sith troopers have breached the command module, three squads. They’ll reach us in minutes.”

“Seal the doors.” Bastila commanded. “We’ll hold out here as long as we can.”

Carth gripped his blaster at his hip, a habit held over from the last war that reared up anytime he was frustrated. “Where are our troops?”

Nichols scanned his console. “The Sith cut them off. They’ve completely blocked off the bridge.”

Bastila closed her eyes, reaching. “They’re fighting hard. They’re focused on the enemies in front of them."

“We need them here, now, Bastila. Protecting you is our first priority.” Carth leant over and pushed a blue button, activating the ship-wide coms. “This is Carth Onasi - does anybody copy? Bastila and I are holed up on the bridge- the Sith are threatening to overrun our position-” A large explosion in the outside hall shook the bridge and sent Private Lowt crashing into him.

The private rushed an apology as Carth regained his footing.

“Not the issue right now.” Carth turned back to the com mic. “This is Carth Onasi-” He waited, listened, and grimaced. “No one’s responding. Coms might be down.”

Another blast rocked the bridge. Bastila eyed the metal barrier warily.

“The door won’t hold much longer.”

“Can’t you do your… force thing?” Carth waved a hand at her general direction.

“If only it were so simple. I need time, Carth. I have to prepare my mind. I can’t just fall into battle meditation,” she lectured. “Even if I could, I doubt it’d help very much at this point.”

“That’s the attitude we need.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Try the coms again.”

Carth bent over the mic once more. “This is Carth Onasi - I repeat all hands to the bridge!”

The Republic Soldiers on the bridge placed themselves before Bastila, ready to defend her at all costs. Esta and Garet, two Jedi knights, stood on either side of her, lightsabers at the ready. 

The door buckled beneath the heat of blaster fire.

“They’re coming.”

She gripped her saber’s hilt tighter. “Let them. I can defend myself.”

“Maybe against a few, but twenty men...”

She raised a brow at Carth. “Now who's the one with the bad attitude?”

“I don’t doubt your abilities, but you’re too important to be lost to the Sith.” 

The door caved open with another blast, revealing a squad of Sith Troopers. 

“It seems our time’s run out.” Bastila ignited her double bladed saber, the yellow glow illuminating a face laced with confidence and determination.

Carth aimed his blaster and took down a Trooper right away. Soldiers, Jedi, and Sith merged in a confusion of battle. Bastila’s saber cut through the mass of silver plated armor. They might just get through this, or could have, if a Dark Jedi hadn’t arrived with another squad of Troopers.

Esta met the Dark Jedi’s saber, blue on red, but was taken down by a trooper’s blast in the back. Garet fell shortly after, though not without taking down five troopers with him.

Only the Dark Jedi remained, and now Bastila met him head on. Carth stopped and scanned the room. More than half their soldiers were down, and most of the crew. More troopers poured onto the bridge through the gaping hole where the door once was. He turned back to Bastila just in time to see the Dark Jedi fall to her blade. He ran over to her.

“It’s a death trap! We have to leave.”

“I won’t leave my men!”

Carth grabbed her arm. “Bastila, we need to go. If you die, the Republic loses its last hope.”

“You do have a point. Darth Malak will destroy the entire ship if it means he’ll finally be rid of me.”

“The escape pods aren’t far, we can-”

A huge blast rocked the bridge.

“Our shields are failing.”

Bastila nodded. “Let’s go.”

They ran through the corridors, stumbling and blinded by smoke. Bastila deflected bolts back at the few troopers who pursued them. When they reached the pod bay, Carth rushed to the computer terminal, activating one of the only two remaining pods.

“Quick, before they destroy the ship.”

Bastila pursed her lips. “I don’t like leaving my men to die.”

“They all took an oath to serve the Republic. That’s what they’re doing. Now do you want their deaths to be in vain?”

She walked over to join him at the terminal. “Is anyone left? Anyone at all?”

“Life support is showing a few republic signatures. Go. I’ll get the message out to abandon ship and wait as long as I can for any survivors.”

“I’m not leaving you!”

“Bastila, go! I’ll meet you on the surface.”

She entered the pod and smiled grimly. “Thank you, Carth. And may the force be with you.”

The pod doors closed with a hiss, and she was away, falling towards Taris. Carth turned back to the computer console, noting two life signs on the bridge. He selected their call signs and spoke into the mic.

“This is Carth Onasi, I’m tracking your position. We were overrun, and had to retreat to the podbay. Do you copy?”. 

“Carth? It’s Trask Ulgo. My partner and I are part of Bastila’s special guard. Is she…?”

“She’s headed down to Taris as we speak. There’s one pod left, but I can’t wait much longer. Who knows how long before they breach our shields?” The ship lurched from another blow, emphasizing his point.

“Copy that. We’re on our way!”

Carth watched the green dots leave the bridge and head his way.

“Stop!” Carth saw the blinking red dot just before they entered the next chamber. “There’s a foreign life sign behind that door.”

“Is there any other way to reach you?”

Carth scanned the ship’s layout. “No, Sith troopers have blocked off the other routes.”

“Then we’re going forward.”

Carth watched as the two green dots rushed forward. One of them, Ulgo from the call sign, engaged the red dot while the other, after a moment’s hesitation, ran down the corridor towards the pod bay.

A soldier, one Carth didn’t recognize, rounded the corner.

“Trask?”

The soldier shook his head. “It was a Dark Jedi. Trask- he ordered me forward.”

“He’s a good man-” Carth hesitated. Another blast rocked the Endar Spire.” ...was a good man. Feels like you made it just in time. We’ve got to go. We’ll rendezvous with Bastila on the surface.”

The soldier followed Carth into the pod. It ejected in a rush. They both stared back at the Endar Spire as they sailed towards Taris. With another volley of blasts, it exploded in a ball of fire. The shockwave hit them, and their escape pod spun out of control, descending faster and faster.

“Brace yourself for impact,” Carth yelled to his companion. Their window showed them nothing but the flames of atmospheric re-entry. Forces pulled at their bodies as they spun and Carth fought to remain conscious. 

He heard a loud crash.

Then nothing.


	2. The Soldier

Carth woke with a start. Fire crackled outside the pod. He had to get out fast, the walls were heating up quickly. Who knew how long it would take the Sith to send down troopers to find them?

He looked across at his fellow soldier, who was out cold. 

“Damn.”

Carth tried the door, but electronic controls were down. They must’ve been knocked out in the explosion. He couldn’t blast it, that could fry them both. Carth tried the manual override, using all his strength to twist the door into the unlocked position. It was stubborn, but with one final tug he heard it click into place and he shoved the door open. 

They’d crashed under the cover of darkness, and thankfully the flames were dying out. It appeared they had crashed on a metal walkway. He must’ve not been out long, as no one had come to check the crash site yet, not even civilians. Still, there was no time to lose.

He stepped back into the pod, shoved a few supplies from the bin beneath his seat into the pouch at his hip. A quick shake of his traveling companion did nothing to rouse the soldier so Carth threw the man over his shoulder and grunted with the effort.

Once out in the open air, Carth still was unsure of their location. Since he could see the sky, they must be in the Upper City. What little he knew about Taris was it was a layered city-planet, and only the luckiest actually got to live in the open air.

He saw a building down the walkway that looked like apartments. Maybe he could squat there for the night. He started hobbling that way, struggling under the weight of the soldier. Civilians were rushing to the crash site now, seeking to put out the flames. Carth flattened himself against the metallic walls of the apartments, at least as much as possible with his burden, letting the crowd pass. As another group of civilians came out of a nearby elevator, Carth managed to stumble through the open door, pushing a button on the lift. He didn’t care which floor, just that it was hopefully empty.

When the internal doors parted, there was no one in sight. He tried to quietly shuffle his way along the curved hall, noting the occupied quarters. Then he saw it, a door left open. 

The apartment was ransacked. Whoever lived here hadn’t left willingly, and would probably not return. Probably owed someone money. Carth deposited the soldier on a nearby bed and looked him over. 

He was battered, bruised, but thankfully his skull remained intact. He had a few cuts on his arms, but nothing major. Carth took out a medpac and applied a little Kolto to the cuts before bandaging them up. 

He debated doing a return run to the pod for more supplies, but it wasn’t worth the risk. There were too many people crowding the area, he’d never slip back in unnoticed. Besides, who knew what the owners had left behind? Carth shut and locked the doors, grabbed a medpack for himself, and started to plan.

Taris was a large city, and there was no way of knowing exactly where Bastila’s pod had landed. He needed intel, but there was no way to collect it now. There’d be an initial commotion, but it would soon end and everyone would go back to bed. 

Everyone but the Sith. Carth was sure that even now they were sending troops to search the city. They wouldn’t waste a minute in finding, capturing, and killing Bastila.

And he couldn’t risk it.

What did that say about him?

Bastila was strong in the force, he reminded himself, and wise beyond her years. She would figure out a way to remain hidden and safe.

He had to believe that.

And what of this soldier? The one he’d waited for. The reason he wasn’t there to aid Bastila right now? He was completely unfamiliar with the man sleeping before him.

“I hope you were worth it.”

He opened up his datapad, typed the soldier’s call sign into the index, and read his file. Aiden Ostar, graduated top in his class, fluent in a remarkable amount of alien tongues, especially for a mere footsoldier. He’s smart, or at least he was before this head wound, Carth mused. This soldier could certainly be a powerful ally - if he survived

The file also noted he’d had elite combat training, which was a main reason for his transfer to the Endar Spire. Carth stared at the transfer date. The poor guy had only been there three weeks. He couldn’t decide whether Ostar was the luckiest or unluckiest bastard he knew. The transfer timing was absolutely bad luck, but as Carth thought of all the veteran officers and soldiers of the Endar Spire who lost their lives, Ostar was one of only a few who actually made it off the ship. That was either luck or... convenient. 

Yes, it was extremely convenient.

Carth couldn’t explain it, but something about this whole situation felt off. He’d have to keep an eye on Ostar, and interrogate him once he awoke. 

* * *

It had been fourteen hours since their arrival, and still the soldier slept. He had woken up briefly a few times, but not long enough for Carth to get any info out of him.

Carth felt wary about leaving this stranger alone, what if he regained consciousness while he was out. What if he was only faking, waiting for Carth to leave? 

Bastila needed him. He couldn’t pace the apartment forever, held there by the whim of a sleeping man. He wasted most of the morning, but finally his desire to act overcame his caution to leave.

The hallway was deserted. Carth assumed most of his new neighbors were already at work or out running errands.

Down on the Upper City walkway, Carth was shocked to see the amount of troops about. In their eagerness to find Bastila, the Sith had already swarmed the planet. He found troopers at every turn.

Thankfully, he was good at blending in. This wasn’t his first time undercover. He found a local merchant and was able to glean a little information from him. Apparently, there had been several escape pod crashes the previous night, some going as deep as the Undercity. The merchant shuddered at mentioning the wretched layer of Taris. Most Upper City citizens liked to pretend it didn’t exist. 

With multiple escape pods, there was no way of knowing which one was Bastila’s. He would need to get more precise intel.

But he’d need to do that later as a group of troopers were headed his way, and he didn’t want to be there when they questioned the merchant for themselves.

Carth made it back to the apartment with almost no witnesses. When he exited the elevator, there was a group of Durosians talking in the hall, but they were so deep in conversation they paid him no mind.

He glanced over at Ostar. The soldier started thrashing in his sleep, mumbling something too jumbled to make out. Carth bent over him, trying to hear.

Then the soldier opened his eyes.

Carth helped him sit up slowly, and gave him a drink of water, acting congenially. “Good to see you up. That looked like one hell of a nightmare.”

The soldier closed his eyes. “Yeah, it was… strange.”

“You’ve been in and out of consciousness for almost fifteen hours. I was starting to wonder if you’d ever wake up.”

“Thanks for sticking around. I don’t mean to be rude, but who are you?”

“Right! I’m Carth, a Captain from the Endar Spire. We rode down in the escape pod together.”

He shrugged. “The escape pod? I-I don’t remember.”

“I’m not surprised. You took a serious blow to the head.”

“Where are we?”

“We’re safe, for the moment. After our pod crashed I found this abandoned apartment. We should be able to operate out of it for now. Pretty lucky, unlike you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Your record shows that you were assigned to the Endar Spire only three weeks ago. What a month to join the crew.” Carth handed him the datapad. “Remind me to play you in Pazaak later.”

“...Pazaak?”

“It’s a card game- nevermind. It’s not important right now.”

The soldier stared at the datapad. “Aiden Ostar…”

“...yes. That’s your name.”

Aiden pursed his lips and closed his eyes, thinking. “If you say so.”

“You really don’t remember anything?”

“I remember fighting, explosions, a woman… with golden blades-”

“Bastila, your commander-”

“But it’s all jumbled. Nothing connects.” 

“Wow, that concussion must be worse than I thought…” Ostar seemed sincere, but Carth still had this feeling of unease. He wanted to question the soldier, but what was the point? Either Ostar was telling the truth and he couldn’t remember anything, or it was an easy cover story that wouldn’t let Carth get any info out of him. Carth rubbed a hand over his face.

“We don’t have time to sit here and chat all day. The Sith are crawling all over this planet, searching for Bastila, and every moment we stay here is another chance for them to find her first. Do you feel up to walking?”

“Yeah, I think so.” Aiden pushed himself up, wobbled a moment, then steadied.

Carth threw him a ration bar. “Here, eat this. There’s a change of clothes in that footlocker. We need to go out and gather intel.”

Carth looked over his equipment while Aiden readied to head out. Even though their faces weren’t well known, they still needed to keep a low profile. As two off-worlders, they might gain unwanted attention, especially from the Sith patrols.

Aiden joined him by the door, blaster at his side. “I’m ready when you are.”

The apartment slid open and the tentatively stepped into the hall.

Not even ten feet away, a Sith soldier stood flanked by two battle droids, their weapons raised at a group of Durosians.

“Alright you alien scum, hands up against the wall.”

One of the Durosians stared him down, glaring through his red-orange eyes. “There was a patrol here only yesterday, and the day before! They found nothing. Why do you keep bothering us?”

Without warning, the Sith soldier blasted a hole in his confronter. The Duros fell with a thud onto his killer’s shiny black boots. The Sith kicked the body away and wiped flecks of char off his crips grey suit. 

“Any other descenters?” He waited a moment, amused. “I thought not. Up against the wall, all of you.”

Aiden gritted his teeth, wanting to rush the soldier, but Carth placed an arm in front of him. He mouthed the words “remember the mission” but Aiden couldn’t stand there while innocent lives were at risk and stepped forward. 

“Aiden!” Carth hissed, as quietly as possible.

But not quietly enough.

“What’s this?” They’d drawn the Sith’s attention.“Humans? Living in these apartments? No… they’re Republic fugitives!”

Carth whipped out his blaster. “So much for keeping a low profile.”

“Shoot them!” The battle droids opened fire. Carth and Aiden returned the blasts, taking each droid out in turn. The Sith soldier’s eyes widened at their quick victory. Before he thought to shoot, the Duros behind him clobbered him over the head with one of the battle droids’ guns. The soldier fell to the floor beside his prior victim. 

The Duros gazed down at his kin. “Poor Ixgil. He should’ve kept his mouth shut. This wasn’t the first time the Sith have bothered us, and it certainly won’t be the last. Thank you for your assistance, it is appreciated.”

Aiden stepped forward and took the Duros' outstretched hand. “We’d appreciate it if you kept our involvement quiet.”

“Indeed. We will tell the others we overthrew them ourselves.”

Carth glanced around, searching for other witnesses. “Won’t somebody come looking for this patrol?”

“We will move the bodies, make it appear the skirmish happened elsewhere to keep them away from these apartments. It should throw them off track.”

Carth gave a curt nod and waved Aiden over. “C’mon Ostar. Let’s go, and no more scrimmages with the Sith please.”

Aiden followed him to the elevator. “Saving them was the right thing to do.”

“It was also the idiotic thing to do. I hope you realize how lucky we were. Not all the Sith’s victims might be willing to cover our tracks, or keep our secret. The Sith would pay pretty well for a pair of Republic fugitives - especially if they think we have information about Bastila.”

They exited the apartments and Aiden stopped short. Carth hadn’t prepared him for just how many Sith there would be. Patrols marched up and down the walkways. In the sky, multiple ships could be seen blockading the planet. Civilians rushed to and fro conversing in hushed tones, giving the Sith Troopers a wide berth. They passed a shop where one of the patrons complained loudly. He angrily stomped off in front of them. A patrol of troops turned their direction.

“Quick! In here!” Carth pulled Aiden into the shop. “Act natural.”

The store attendant looked up from her desk at their entrance. She greeted them with a warm smile and soft twang to her voice. “Hello there. Welcome to the Equipment Emporium. Largest shop in all of Upper Taris. If you need anything, I’m Kebla.”

Aiden perused the goods. A shop droid was hurriedly restocking items. He seemed a bit worse for wear. 

Carth swaggered his way up to Kebla, oozing charm.

“Seems like you just had an unpleasant experience.”

“You can’t please everybody, especially when they’re in pain. The droid stepped on his foot.” Aiden eyed the droid’s feet and took a small step away. 

“You looking to buy supplies?”

“A few. What’ve you got?”

“Whatever you need. Well, mostly.”

Aiden glanced her way, “Mostly?”

She sighed. “Some of my stock’s been confiscated by the Sith, and it’s not exactly easy to get supplies in during a quarantine.”

“I bet.”

“You two are off-worlders, aren’t you? I feel so bad for y’all, come for a short trip and now stuck here indefinitely. I’m sure you’re about as fond of the Sith as I am.”

Aiden checked out the door. The Sith patrol had passed. “Something like that.”

“Well don’t you worry, Taris isn’t so bad, especially if you stay in the Upper City.”

Carth placed a few medpacs on the counter.

“That all?”

“For now.” Carth smiled. “With such excellent service I’m sure we’ll be back.”

“I look forward to it.”

They started leaving, when Carth turned and casually asked, “Hey Kebla, know where a guy can get a drink around here?”

“The cantina’s just down the way. Tell Karak I sent you, he’ll give you a discount.”

Carth led them out the shop and across the large promenade. He searched the skies. 

“Look at that blockade. There’s no way the Republic can break through to get us. It’s up to us to find Bastila and get off of Taris.”

“The blockade, the patrols, the quarantine. Doesn’t this seem a bit… excessive?”

“Not for Bastila. Darth Malak’s been hunting her ever since she took down his master, Darth Revan. Even before then, they were after her. She’s key to the whole Republic war effort.”

“Key? How can any one person be so important?”

“Bastila’s a Jedi, one with a very special ability. She’s able to use the force to sway the course of a battle. Her power can influence entire armies.”

They passed the charred remains of the Escape Pod. A salvage droid was stripping it for parts, rolling back and forth excitedly with each new piece it cut away. Aiden wondered at how they’d survived the crash at all. 

“Okay. So she is important. She could also be dead.” 

“That’s possible, but on the chance she’s not it’s our duty to find her. She’s young, and powerful, and had a better chance surviving the crash than we did. Besides, if she’s gone, then no one can stop Darth Malak and his armada. The Republic would be doomed.” He stopped outside the cantina door. “I’m choosing to be an optimist.”

“Good for you.”

The door opened to reveal a rather empty room, with a large Pazaak card table in the center. It was pretty early in the day and barely anyone was playing. They walked through to the central room where a circular bar was located, inhabited by a few patrons. More were heard cheering in a room farther back. Carth glanced around, scoping the place.

“Best to split up, I’ll take the room over there. You see what you can find at the bar.”

Aiden nodded and watched Carth head to the back before taking one of the many open seats at the bar. A gruff looking bartender waddled over. 

“Are you Karak?”

He grunted in assent. “Who’s asking?”

“I’m supposed to tell you Kebla sent me.”

He grunted again, it seemed to be his main form of communication. “What’ll you have?”

Aiden searched his memory, but came up short. What did he want? What drinks did he even like? Different concoctions floated back to him, but he couldn’t remember their names. Then he noticed a woman a few seats over who seemed to be thoroughly enjoying her drink and pointed at her.

“I’ll have whatever she’s having.”

The ‘she’ in question swirled her drink and gave him a once-over. “Tarisian Ale. Strongest stuff in the system.”

“Prepping for a long night?”

“Just had a tedious morning. I got off duty about an hour ago. This seemed like the best thing to do with my time.”

“Off duty? You’re a soldier?”

She gave a half salute. “Junior Sith officer Sarna Briggs at your service.”

Aiden sensed if he could play this right, he might find out exactly what he came for. This Sith could be crucial to their mission. But how to best engage her? He noticed how she turned towards him, reading her body language.

“You don’t look like a Sith.”

“I don’t wear my uniform when I’m off duty - it’s not allowed. In fact, none of us are allowed to enter the cantina with them on. The higher-ups don’t like the idea of citizens seeing us act less than robotic, or fraternizing with the locals.”

Taking a swig of the ale, he shifted closer to her. “I like it.” 

Sarna touched her lip before pointing at him. “And I like you. What’s your name?”

He offered his hand. “Aiden. Aiden Ostar.”

She reached out and held it between her own. “You’ve got sparkly eyes, Aiden, like black opals. They remind me of the night sky back home.”

Aiden leant in, conspiratorially. “So you like to break the rules?”

Sarna shrugged. “It’s just a job. A thankless one at that, filled with long hours and low pay.”

“Sounds rough.”

“It is! But once you’re a part of the Sith, there really isn’t an exit strategy. They lured me in with the promise of grand adventure and exotic locals, and by the time I realized I’d be hauled from one back-water planet to the next it was too late. I can’t go home. I can’t even afford a shuttle off this place - not that there are any at the moment.”

Aiden felt actual pity for her. Trapped in a life she didn’t want. It sparked something in him, related to some lost memory. “Sarna, that’s- I’m sorry.”

“Sorry?” She waved it away. “No, it’s not your fault I’ve made poor life decisions. This is my life now, and I’ve got to play the hand I’m dealt.” She touched his arm. “That is sweet though. I’m honestly surprised you haven’t fled yet. Most men leave as soon as they find out I’m a Sith. I can’t blame them. The people here hate us.” 

Sarna paused, deep in thought, then re-met his gaze. “It does get lonely though.”

“I’m not like most men.” Aiden winked and ordered them another round.

She raised her glass. “Cheers to that.”

“But I’m also not Tarisian. I’m an off-worlder stuck here until the quarantine ends.”

Sarna raised a brow. “Oh really? What’re you doing here on Taris?”

“It was a routine business trip. I was supposed to fly home this morning.”

“Now I’m the sorry one. You’re probably more mad than the locals! If we could just find that stupid Jedi we could lift the quarantine and you could be on your way. With how many of us they sent down here, I can’t believe we haven’t rounded her up yet!” 

So they hadn’t found Bastila. Aiden filed away that information. He wondered if he could get more out of her.

“Don’t be.” He caressed her hand. “Being stuck on Taris isn’t all bad.”

Sarna blushed, catching his meaning. “And being stationed here is suddenly getting better.” She took a sip of her ale. “I don’t suppose… there’s, well it’s a secret, but a few of us are having a party late tonight. I don’t suppose you’d like to come?”

“Sounds like a great chance to blow off some steam.”

“Precisely. I know I need it, especially after coming off being in the Undercity. Things are pretty grim down there. Here’s the location.” She jotted down the address on a nearby napkin. 

“I’ve got to get back to base and sober up before my next shift.” She stood up, and Aiden helped her steady herself. She blushed even more at being held by him. “It was nice to meet you, Aiden Ostar.”

“You as well. I’ll see you later, Sarna.”

She gave him a little wave as she left. “I look forward to it.” He watched her walk away, she was an attractive woman, even if she was a Sith.

“What was that?”

Aiden jumped at Carth’s voice right behind him.

“Nothing,” he replied too quickly. “Intel.”

“You haven’t even been up for three hours and- we’re not here to pick up women. There’s a lot at stake if we don’t-”

“She’s a Sith officer.” That shut him up.

“Well, damn. Good work I suppose.” Carth sat down next to him at the bar. “Find anything out?”

“The Sith definitely haven’t found Bastila yet. Also, she mentioned searching the Undercity.”

“That lines up with what I heard. There was only one other pod that landed in the Upper City and those men were captured immediately. That might have actually given us time to hide. The other escape pods seem to have found their way down below. It seems the Sith have tracked down every one of them, though most were empty.”

“At least we know she’s alive.”

“True. And we know where to look. The city doesn’t allow Undercity dwellers to visit the higher levels-”

“That’s horrible,” Aiden interjected.

“I know,” Carth agreed. “But it also means that the odds of Bastila having left there are very low. We’ll make our way down to the Undercity and begin our search there.”

Aiden threw back the rest of his ale and stood up. “To the Undercity.”


	3. The Party

Getting to the Undercity was easier said than done. 

Aiden and Carth watched an elderly gentleman get berated by the Sith Trooper as he tried to access the only way down to the lower levels of Taris. They sat a block away, seeming like two coworkers enjoying their lunch break outside. 

“What do you think you’re doing? No civilians are allowed to access this elevator! There’s a quarantine.”

“B-But my wife…”

“No civilian access. Move along.”

“Alright…” The man hunched lower and shuffled dejectedly away. 

Aiden turned to Carth. “So, no Undercity?”

“We’re going to need a way in.” Another Sith Trooper walked up and was immediately waved through by the guard. “Perhaps your lovely friend can give us a hand, or even better… some uniforms.”

* * *

Aiden and Carth stood in the apartment complex hall. The thud of music vibrated through the closed door before them.

Carth seemed extra rigid. “Tell me again.” His hand brushed against his thigh where his blaster would normally be holstered. It was necessary to stash their blasters with their belongings back at the apartment, since they could be recognized by the Siths as Rebel issued. He refused to go completely unarmed though, and strapped his hold-out blaster to his ankle. It wouldn’t be easy to access, but at least he’d have something to defend himself with in that den of vipers.

“We’re business partners who work in shipping interplanetary goods. Our flight out is now indefinitely delayed due to the quarantine.”

“Good. We fly an Lethisk-class freighter, in case they ask.”

Aiden filed that away, securing his own pistol and redawning his boot. “Lethisk-class, got it.”

Carth fidgeted again, missing his holster. “Are you ready?” 

“Are you? You seem-”

“I’m fine.”

Aiden knocked on the door and was met by a delighted and slightly inebriated Sarna. Her face lit up. “Aiden! You’re here. I thought you might not come.”

“Of course I came. Is it alright I brought my partner?”

“Partner?” She looked at him quizzically. Carth quickly cut in, clarifying. 

“Gareth Koran, Aiden’s business partner.”

“Oh! Nice to meet you Mr.Koran,” she giggled.

Sarna dragged Aiden over to one of the other partygoers. Carth found a corner from which he could keep an eye on the partygoers.

“This is my friend Yun.”

He extended a hand to Aiden. “Yun Genda. Pleasure.”

“Aiden Ostar.”

Aiden noticed Yun’s grip was rather tight as if a challenge.

Yun spoke first. 

“And what is it you do, Mr. Ostar?”

“I oversee the transportation of various goods. We were grounded due to-”

“Due to our search. I’m sure this quarantine is fantastic for business.”

A shout from across the room distracted Sarna. She went over to an intoxicated friend who was spilling a bottle of ale all over the ground. “Fela! We’re not even supposed to be here! No, don't cry, it’s fine, I’ll clean it up.”

Aiden watched Sarna shepherd her friend off to the refresher, willing her to return quickly. “Yes, well my frigate is getting some extra work done on her while we’re grounded.”

“What kind of ship do you fly?”

“A Lethisk-class.”

“I see. So you work for Davik Kang then?”

Aiden paused, unsure whether to agree or not. Yun addressed him congenially.

“Don’t worry, we’re currently in talks with him. He’s been very generous to our cause, and in return we will allow him to resume his operations shortly. You may be able to fly out as early as tomorrow morning.”

Aiden rolled with this new turn of events. “Wonderful. I’m sure he’ll be pleased.”

“In the meantime, we all can enjoy his gifts to our order.” He produced two bottles of Tarisian Ale. Aiden reached for it, grateful for the distraction.

Yun motioned to Carth in the corner, glaring into his beverage. “Your friend isn’t very social.”

“Yes, well, he’s a bit more upset about our grounding. He likes to keep a strict schedule.”

Aiden worried where this conversation would lead, but was relieved when Sarna linked her arm through his and pulled him away from Yun.

“Sorry about that. Fela’s an emotional drunk. Poor thing. This is all really hard on her.”

“Is she afraid to break the rules?”

“What? No. No, but she was forced into service. The Sith took over her homeworld and it was all ‘join us or die.’ She chose the former.”

“Are there many in your ranks who hate your order?”

Sarna moved closer and wound her arm around his neck. “I don’t know of many, but it’s not a topic we can really discuss. We all know the penalty for anything other than enthusiastic service.”

“But there must be some, I mean, look at your party’s turn-out.” Aiden motioned across the room. 

She pulled back a little to catch his eye. “It’s possible… but who cares? I’m not here to talk shop. In fact, I’d rather not be talking at all.” She moved in to kiss Aiden but was interrupted.

“Hey! What exactly is going on here?”

All eyes shot to the door where an angry looking Sith officer in full regalia surveyed the room. Everyone held their breath, waiting. The Sith broke into a smile, and the room breathed a collective sigh of relief. Everyone went back to the festivities as if nothing had happened.

Sarna called him over and quickly introduced him to Aiden. He apologized for his delay.

“Sorry I’m so late.”

“Well Farron, at least you made it.”

“Barely. I managed to shift an interrogation off onto Mitchom and Hilo.”

“Good for you. Interrogation duty’s never fun. What’d the perp do?

“Our camera’s caught him stealing uniforms.”

Aiden locked eyes with Carth across the room.

“Uniforms?”

Farron waved it off. “It’s been an issue before. Ever since we set up a base here three months ago we’ve had small things go missing.”

Aiden wanted to appear curious, sensed he needed to probe deeper, but was unsure how to find out just where these stolen uniforms could be. Perhaps by shifting the conversation slightly there would be an opening. “But why not weapons? Or something useful?”

“Who knows? Maybe they want to infiltrate our ranks. As if they could. Operating out of nothing more than a hole in the wall-”

Sarna placed a hand on Farron, pulling his attention. “Do you think Hilo or Mitchom will stop by when they’re done?”

“It would hardly be worth it. They’re over by the southern apartment complex, and they’ll need to clean up once they’re done.” He took a swig of ale. “You know, the citizens here confuse me. Normally we’re met with fear or gratitude, but these Tarisians haven’t given us either. Until the shutdown, they were rather indifferent. But now… these alien scum are angrier than ever.”

“Placing the entire city under quarantine does that.”

Both officers turned to look at Carth who’s made his way over, catching the vitriol lacing his words.

“And who are you?”

Aiden tried to smooth the tension but Carth continued to seethe. “This is Gareth, my business partner.”

“Sarna, I’m surprised. I thought this was a private event.”

“They’re here by my invitation.”

“If I knew I could have brought guests, I would’ve invited Lieutenant Gaddos.”

“Very funny Farron. As if she wouldn’t have your head as well as mine.”

Aiden, sensing the growing tension, decided to cut their losses before Carth completely blew their cover. “I think it’s time for us to head back.”

Carth latched on to this lifejacket. “Yes, we need to do another inventory of the ship before bed.”

They started to make their way to the door. Sarna followed them.

“But you only just got here!”

Aiden turned to her, taking her hand. “I know, but this party’s a little more crowded than I’d hoped for. Perhaps we can meet at another time, with fewer guests?” He pulled her close, making his intentions extremely clear. Sarna smiled alluringly.

“I suppose we could work that out. Day after tomorrow I’ll have a decent break, pending I’m still planetside. Meet me here at twenty-two hundred hours?”

Aiden kissed her hand, his eyes never leaving hers. “I’ll be here.”

Out in the hall, Carth waited impatiently, glowering.

“Have a good night?”

Aiden eyed him warily. “It was fine. Good luck about that Farron guy, right?”

“Yup. Otherwise we would’ve had to wait until the crowd thinned out so we could shoot the bastards and steal their armor.”

“Carth! We weren’t going to-”

“How else did you expect to search them, Ostar? Wait until they drank themselves to sleep? That’s not exactly the best plan.”

“There could have been another way. Sarna-”

“Ostar have you gone soft for a Sith officer? Need I remind you who she works for - what they did to our ship? What they’re doing to Taris right now.”

“Sarna is different, she-”

“Choose to join the Sith. She became a Sith officer. How different can she be?”

Aiden took a deep breath and held his tongue. Carth was his superior officer, and right now they needed to work together.

“Farron said his men were near the southern apartments. If we’re lucky they’ll still be there.”

“And how exactly do you plan to find them?”

“Maybe they’ll be loud?”

Aiden hadn’t known how right he’d be. 

The screams echoed down the empty city walls. Carth and Aiden followed the noise to a smashed in door on the side of a small shop. They unholstered their hold-out blasters.

“Where are the stolen uniforms? Answer us and this could all be over.”

A shaky voice replied, “Please! I’m telling you I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“Don’t play dumb. We have your ugly mug on one of our security cameras, stealing those uniforms from the base. Did you sell them to the Tarisian Underground?”

“No, I swear-” Aiden heard the thuds of metallic boots kicking flesh. They both flanked the opening.

“He’s not going to talk, Mitchom.” Hilo, whom Aiden assumed was speaking, sounded tired.

Carth mouthed an order across to him. “Quickly. One shot.” Aiden nodded. 

They snuck through the fractured door, and found their marks. One trooper stood over his cowering prey, the other sat to the side. Helmet in his hands. The sitting trooper barely had time to register shock before he lay dead on the ground. His companion died blissfully unaware.

Carth helped the alien thief to his feet.

“Thank you. You saved my life. Those Sith…”

“Are vile.” Carth spat.

“Who are you?”

“Does it matter?”

“I suppose not. You are clearly no friend to the Sith.”

“Was it true, what they accused you of? Did you steal their uniforms?”

“Indeed, it is. There is a movement in the lower city to overthrow the Sith and their occupation of Taris. The Hidden Beks are gathering resources to one day overthrow our oppressors. I sent the uniforms there.”

“So you don’t have them anymore?”

“I’m afraid not.”

Carth kicked a nearby wall. “Damn.”

The alien brought his finger tips together in thought. “Humans, how many uniforms did you desire?”

“We only needed two,” Aiden responded.

The Alien opened his hands, motioning to the two dead troopers at his feet. “I believe these should suffice.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading this far, and thanks to those who have left kudos/comments! It means a lot. Sorry for the slow upload - this chapter was hard to get down for some reason. I’m really looking forward to chapter 4 though, so it shouldn’t be as long of a wait. The Lower City should be fun. :-)


	4. The Lower City

A bit later, Aiden and Carth stood in full Sith armor, their faces hidden beneath the gleaming silver helmets. Aiden watched their new ally preparing to dispose of the bodies.

“Will you be alright?”

“Worry not, human, I can take care of them. The city is multileveled and its depths hold many secrets, these will be lost among them.”

Carth nodded and the two of them marched down the street. He fiddled with his new gun, taken from their recent victims.

“This blaster feels... different. Heavy.” 

Aiden shrugged, “Feels fine to me. It's probably all in your head.”

“Maybe you're right... I guess it feels wrong to use an enemy weapon.”

“See, there’s the difference between us. All I feel is a blaster. I don’t care where it came from as long as it gets the job done.”

It wouldn’t be long before the troops came up missing, and they needed to clear the elevator before any alarm was raised. When they reached it, the trooper nodded them through, no questions asked. They boarded the elevator, and Carth released a sigh of relief that they were one step closer to finding Bastila.

That relief didn’t last long.

The elevator doors opened into a firefight. Bodies clashed with blaster bolts and shock batons. 

“You Beks are nothing but Bantha Fodder.” One of the fighters screamed.

“You’ll hold your tongue, you traitorous snake. You Vulkars are in our territory now.”

Carth and Aiden had no choice but to enter the fray.

“Who do we shoot?” Aiden yelled, trying to distinguish one group from the other.

“Whoever shoots at us.”

“Sith,” one of the gang members snarled in his alien tongue, “You’re not welcome here.”

Aiden aimed at him, keeping the alien’s baton at bay with his blaster. He saw Carth take on his opponent’s friend. They were able to push them down the hall, separating what little remained of the two gangs. One of the creatures released a frag grenade into the air.

Time slowed. 

Aiden felt curiously still. There was no reason he should have registered the grenade in the midst of battle, let alone become so focused on the arc of its flight, and yet the rest of the fighting fell away. He watched it sail through the air, his legs compelled him toward it almost of their own accord. When he was close enough he reached out, barely grasping it, before flinging it back at the gang members to his right.

The grenade exploded, killing both remaining fighters on that side.

Carth stared at him, a look of complete unbelief plastered on his face. “Ostar… how did you-?”

Aiden shook his head, speechless. He honestly didn’t know, but there was not time to question their astonishingly good luck. There were blasters being leveled at both of their heads.

“Drop your weapons, Sith,” the gang member spat.

Both Aiden and Carth threw down their blasters and raised their arms.

“We’re not who you think we are.” Aiden spoke slow and methodically. “We’re with the Republic.”

“Likely story. What are Republic soldiers doing in Sith armor?”

“It was the only way to reach the Lower City,” Carth offered, keeping his voice level as well.

One of the gang members turned to their leader. “We should take them back to base. Gadon will know what to do with them.”

“Zaerdra won’t be happy. She wants us to shoot all Sith on sight.”

“Please,” Aiden interrupted. “We have no love for the Sith.”

The leader took a deep breath and came to a decision. “Alright. We’ll let Gadon decide. Helmets off, we need to bind you and blindfold you.”

* * *

They reached the base. Aiden heard the doors open and shut, and heard the sounds of people milling around. Then a low female voice called out. 

“Hold it right there, Gendark, who are these prisoners?”

“They claim to be with the Republic, Zaerdra. We weren’t sure what to-”

“So you brought them here, to our base?”

“W-we blindfolded them…”

“Yes, and the eyes are the only senses our enemies have. You amaze me with your stupidity-”

“That’s enough, Zaerdra,” A bassy voice boomed from farther away. “Bring them here.”

Aiden shielded his eyes from the bright lights of the base. He waited for them to adjust after being released from the blindfold. A Twi'lek with pale skin and violet eyes that matched her lekku glared at him.

“Follow me.”

She led Aiden and Carth to the back of the room, where the voice’s owner stood behind his desk. He rubbed a hand back over his smooth black scalp, while staring down at a few papers.

He waved to the Twi'lek without glancing up. “Zaerdra, release their hands.”

“Release them? Gadon you can’t-”

“Calm down Zaerdra. No one’s going to try anything in the middle of the base. It’d be suicide.”

“You underestimate your enemies. Brejik and his Vulkars will stop at nothing to kill you. Anyone we don’t know is a potential threat.”

“They have no weapons, Zaerdra. Besides, they’re not here to kill me. Are you Gentlemen?”

“Absolutely not.”

“See?”

Zaerdra rolled her eyes at his ridiculous reply.

“Now stand down and let me have a chat with our new guests.”

“As you wish.” She moved behind Carth and Aiden to remove their bindings. She spoke low, through gritted teeth. “I’ve got my eye on you two. Try anything, anything at all, and I’ll vaporize you before you can say ‘Vulkar spy’!”

Aiden massaged his wrists, easing away the pain from too tight bindings. He watched Zaerdra sauntered over to a nearby wall and leant against it, polishing an intimidating gun. 

“Apologies for her. Zaerdra’s a wonderful bodyguard, but ever since Brejik and his Vulkars began this war against us, she’s been a little over-zealous in her duties. The Sith and their quarantine aren’t helping things. She seems to forget I’ve been leading this gang since she was a child. Now, I believe we haven’t been officially introduced. I’m Gadon Thek, leader of the Hidden Beks, and you are?”

“Captain Carth Onasi, and this is Aiden Ostar, we’re both soldiers with the Republic Navy.”

“I see. And what brings you both to the Lower City, Captain Onasi?”

“We heard some escape pods from our ship crashed into the Undercity. Have you heard anything about them?”

“Escape pods? I heard the Sith were asking around about them too-”

“Which is why it’s so important we get to them first,” Carth interrupted.

Zaedra called out from her perch on the wall. “They talk like Sith, they look like Sith, it’s quite the coincidence.”

Carth exploded. “We’re not working with the Sith!”

Gadon held out a calming hand. “Enough Zaerdra. I don’t believe these men are our enemies, merely looking for fellow survivors from their ship. Besides, the information I have to give won’t cause us any harm, though it might bring trouble to the Black Vulkars… As soon as I heard the crash, I sent my men to go search for the source. I thought there might be some salvageable material. Unfortunately the Vulkars got there first. They stripped the pods clean.”

“Did your men see traces of any survivors?”

“No, but my spies reported the Vulkars captured at least one Republic officer. They found a female all alone and unconscious in one of the pods.”

Aiden caught Carth’s eye. A lone female? It wasn’t certain, but the odds were it was Bastila.

“This officer, what do they plan to do with her?”

“Normally they’d sell her off for a nice profit to Davik or one of the off-world slavers, but a Republic officer is no ordinary catch. Brejik’s putting her up as the Vulkar’s share of the prize in the annual swoop gang race.”

“They think she's just a Republic officer,” Carth murmured, “This could work to our advantage.”

“Maybe she can escape the Vulkar base on her own?” Aiden offered.

Gadon stroked his goatee. “Perhaps, though while the Vulkars aren’t the brightest bunch, I’m sure they’re taking extra precautions guarding such a valuable prize.”

Aiden mulled it over. “When is the swoop gang race?”

“Not for another week.”

“A week? That’s plenty of time. Carth, we can infiltrate their base and rescue her before then.”

“Your ambition is admirable, but I’m afraid infiltrating their base will be no easy task. The front doors are barred and heavily guarded. You’ll need a guide to take you through the back, and I think I know just the girl.”

Zaerdra gawked at him. “Girl? No, Gadon, you can’t be serious.”

“Mission Vao’s explored every step of every back alley in the Lower City, and she knows the Undercity sewers better than anyone.”

“She’s only fourteen-”

“If anyone can lead these two into the Vulkar base, it’s her.”

“She’s not even at the base, last we heard she was off with her Wookiee friend exploring the Undercity.”

Gadon turned back to Aiden and Carth. “There, now you know where to look for her. You’ll need a way to get down there-”

“We have these uniforms-”

“Had those uniforms,” Gadon corrected. “We need every piece of equipment we can get in our fight against the Sith. Consider it your payment for our aid.”

“Then how do you expect us to get past the Sith guard and to the Undercity?”

“With these.” Gadon produced a set of papers. “A set of security papers guaranteeing the safe passage of whoever holds them to wherever they’d like to go. No disguise needed. One of my gang found them on a Sith patrol that never made it to their destination. Your uniforms for these papers, seems like you’re getting the better end of the deal.”

Aiden fingered the papers. “So we have a way down there, but how will we know her? What does she look like?”

“Mission’s a young blue Twi’lek who usually runs around with a Wookie named Zaalbar. If you can’t spot Mission you can certainly find him.”

Carth narrowed his eyes, obviously searching Gadon for a hidden agenda. “Why are you helping us?”

“What’s bad for the Vulkars is good for me. Infiltrating their base, stealing their prize, leaves them vulnerable and weak. Perhaps we can finally end this pointless war.”

Aiden sensed there was a piece missing from Gadon’s answer. “For a ‘pointless war’ you seem very invested in bringing the Black Vulkars down. Why?”

Gadon paused, and Aiden could sense he was debating if or how to answer. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but these are not my natural eyes,” he motioned to his metallic blue eyes. “I lost them in a swoop bike crash over two years ago. Everyone assumed I’d step down and allow Brejik, who was then my most trusted follower, to take over. But then I got these ocular implants, which allow me to see well enough to lead the gang, and I knew Brejik wasn’t ready. He was impulsive and head-strong. In a rage he left to join our rival gang, the Black Vulkars, taking many of our younger members with him. With the support of his followers he quickly took control of the Vulkars and started his campaign against the Hidden Beks. I often wonder how much bloodshed could have been avoided if I’d only stepped down…”

Zaerdra strode over, compassion mingling with disdain in her eyes. “Don’t fool yourself Gadon. Brejik is power hungry and cruel, if you’d appointed him leader, he would have led the Hidden Beks in an attempt to take over all the Lower City gangs. He would have had this war, one way or another.” 

“Perhaps you are right. Regardless, Brejik won’t rest until I’m dead and the Beks are wiped out. This war needs to end. So go, find Mission and infiltrate their base. If I can destabilize Brejik’s power without putting more of my men in danger then I’d be a fool not to chance it.”

Gadon shook both their hands. “Zaedra, allow our new friends to have the weapons off the Black Vulkars they killed. They’ll need some way to defend themselves in the Undercity, and it’s only right.”

Zaedra led them over to a table where the Hidden Beks who had captured them had laid the spoils from their battle. Aiden grabbed a vibrosword. It buzzed out of its sheath, but felt right in his hand. He saw Carth holster a blaster pistol and a shock stick to his belt. They shared a nod of mutual approval. Carth gave a half smile.

“The Undercity awaits.” 

Aiden resheathed his new sword and followed Carth out of the base.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the love! If you're interested to see who I'd "cast" in these rolls, I put a post up on my blog. Link's in my profile :-)


	5. The Undercity

The Undercity was worse than Carth ever imagined. When the elevator doors opened, the first thing to hit him was the smell. He covered his nose and tried not to gag. The acrid stench of sweat, body odor, and other bodily fluids hung heavy in the air.

“Could be the sewers nearby,” Aiden offered.

Carth glanced around at the dirty pathway, beggars curled sleeping under tattered garments.

“I doubt it. I understand why your Sith didn’t enjoy her shift down here. They hate coming face to face with their handiwork.”

“There’s nothing to say these people’s current state has anything to do with the Sith.”

Aiden had a point. From what little Carth had been able to glean about the City-planet, it had functioned as a multi-leveled caste system for hundreds of years. Still, it felt good to blame their misfortune on those Sith dogs.

“You seem very… protective of her.”

Aiden glanced down a side alley, avoiding Carth’s direct gaze. “She’s got caught up in a bad situation.”

“She could leave anytime she wants.”

“Carth, you know it’s not that simple.”

“She’s the enemy, Ostar! Of course it’s that simple.”

“Can we drop it with Sarna already?” But Carth couldn’t drop it. He kept talking over Aiden. 

“I would rather die than serve them or help any of their followers. Why are you so keen on defending a Sith?”

“Are you questioning my loyalty to the Republic?”

Carth spoke through gritted teeth. “Watch your tone Ostar, need I remind you I’m your Superior-”

“Look where I am,” Aiden roared. His dark eyes glinting with barely suppressed rage. “I never asked to be here, trapped on some planet I’ve never heard of, searching for some mythical woman I don’t remember, for a cause that I’m supposed to believe in. I loathe the Sith. Their destruction of the Endar Spire stole my memories, my entire identity. I only know what that datapad tells you. I get brief glimpses here and there. Confusing snippets that don’t make sense. The woman whom you say is Bastila, fighting a dark Jedi. My mother’s hand smoothing hair off my face. A soldier chuckling next to me, someone who I think is my friend. I have no real connection to the past, and to be honest, to the Republic. But I’m here, helping you. Searching for Bastila, finding a way off this rock, that’s all I have right now. I hope that can be enough.”

Carth saw the anger, the pain, seep out of Aiden’s face.

“I,” he started, unsure what to say. “I didn’t realize how complete your memory loss was. I’m sorry for pushing you. Listen, it’s not you. It’s just… I have a hard time trusting people. You’ve been a great help. I’m glad I’m not down here searching alone.”

Aiden nodded. “Me either. Without you, I’d be dead.”

They walked on a bit in silence before Aiden ventured a question.

“You said you have a hard time trusting people, any particular reason?”

Carth sighed. “It’s a long story suited for another time. For now let’s get back to finding our guide. Someone must’ve seen a blue twi’lek running around here.” He surveyed the squalor. “Seems like she’d stand out.”

They passed through a small archway and into a broader square. Two beggars rushed up to them, clothed in soiled rags and covered in grime.

“You there! Up-worlders! Stop right there.” The slightly less hunched over beggar stuck out his hand, blocking their path.

“Yeah, yeah, stop right there.” His partner echoed.

“All Up-worlders have to pay the toll to enter this village. It’s five credits to get in.”

“Pay the toll.” His partner stuck out their hand.

“We’re not Up-worlders-” Aiden started to explain.

“Not Up-worlders? What do think I am, stupid? Look at you parading around in your nice clothes, and your shiny boots.” The partner began parading himself around, mocking them. 

“Look you two, our boots aren’t the only shiny things on us.” Carth whipped out his blaster and pointed it right in the beggar’s face. They didn’t have time for this.

“Easy, Sir, easy. We don’t want no trouble. We only want our fair due.”

“Fair due? Are you serious? You’re trying to shake us down just for entering your village!”

“It’s not their village.” A young woman ran over, ending the altercation. “Fleeg, Sprool, stop bothering these men.”

“Buth Shaleena-”

“Go on now, get.”

Carth lowered his weapon as the two ran off.

“I’m so sorry about them, they try to hassle anyone who comes here from above. We’re not all like that. Most of us are decent people just trying to get by.”

“ I'm sure you are. It's too bad your little welcoming committee is there to give people a bad first impression,” quipped Carth.

“We don’t get visitors very often, at least not until a few days ago. Now it seems we’re crawling with them.”

“Speaking of visitors, have you happened to run across a blue Twi’lek, goes by the name of Mission Vao?” Aiden gave her a smile. Carth groaned internally. He was already turning on the charm.

Shaleena shook her head. “I’m afraid not. Rikul might know though. He’s our village elder. Here, follow me.” She waved them after her. Carth hung back a bit, surveying the village square, while Aiden matched her pace. There wasn’t much to see. Rusty metallic buildings enclosed the square, and ones further out were barely visible in the dim light emanating from lit windows and the few street lamps there were.

“You are from the up-world, aren’t you?” Shaleena asked Aiden. Carth listened to their conversation from afar.

“No, not really. We’re actually both off-worlders.”

Her eyes lit up. “Oh! That’s exciting! Where do you come from.”

Aiden struggled to reply. “I actually don’t know. I… was hurt during our landing.”

“I’m so sorry to hear that. But you must at least remember the Up-world.”

“Of course.”

“Is it as nice as they say it is? I’ve never traveled beyond our village.”

Aiden took a moment. Carth watched him study the girl. She was slight, a head shorter than Aiden, and though her clothes were scruffy, the rest of her was not. Her round, doe-eyes shone eagerly anticipating his answer. “It has a certain kind of beauty.”

“I’m sure it does. I grew up listening to Rukil’s stories of the Up-world. Sometimes, I imagine the surface in my dreams. The warm sun shining on my face, a big open sky full of fresh air, and everything shines like new. I know it’s foolish, dreaming of a place I’ve never been, a place I’ll never get to be.”

“What makes you say that, I’m sure you could-”

“No.” She was firm. “It isn’t the way.” 

“But if you want to leave-”

An old, weathered voice interrupted them. “We who live in the belly of the city are outcasts, scorned by those above. If we tried to journey to the Up-world it would be death for us. Our only hope lies in the Promise Land.”

“Rukil!” Shaleena hugged the ancient, wrinkled man.

“Shaleena my dear, who have you brought me?”

“Aiden Ostar.” Carth observed Aiden gently take the small withered hand in his own. Aiden motioned over his shoulder. “That’s my companion Carth Onasi.”

“Welcome, welcome.”

Shaleena bowed to her elder. “I wish I could stay, but Mother needs my help back home. She’ll already wonder where I am.”

“Thank you, Shaleena.” Rikul gave her hand a pat. With her departure he addressed the newcomers. “How can I help you gentlemen?”

Carth approached the makeshift abode where Rukil stood. “We’re looking for a Blue Twi’lek named Mission Vao.”

“Ah, Mission, she is trouble isn’t she? What do you need her for?”

“The reason isn't important,” Carth responded terser than he intended, his impatience growing. “Have you seen her or not?”

“The last I saw Mission she and her Wookie companion were headed off to the sewers.” He chuckled at their astonished faces. “You’d be surprised what those Up-worlders flush away. There’s plenty of treasures to discover, especially for a young explorer like her. However, I must warn you, the path there is extremely dangerous.”

Aiden searched Rikul’s face. “Dangerous? How?”

“There is a sickness here… it comes from outside the village gates. Pale, viscous beasts carry the plague. One bite of their fangs or scratch from their razor-sharp claws is all it takes, if they don’t kill you first. The wounded writhe in agony for a few days before morphing into the very monsters that attacked them. We have been trying to devise a cure, but our medical equipment and skills are sorely lacking.”

“Great, sounds like something out of the tales my brother used to tell me,” Carth muttered.

“Indeed. These creatures are the stuff of nightmares.”

“Can they be killed?” Aiden got directly to the point.

“Oh yes, they’re as mortal as you or I.”

“Then they won’t be a problem.” Aiden grinned. 

Rukil chuckled. “I admire your courage, young one.”

A commotion behind the abode drew their attention. Someone was pleading as they ran to the square.

“Help me, please! Somebody’s got to help me!”

A blue Twi’lek came barreling around the corner, out of breath.

“Please, help. There’s no time-”

“Calm down child,” Rukil instructed. “What’s the matter?”

“I can’t leave him there - we need to go help him right now!”

A blue Twi’lek, what were the odds? Carth interrupted her rambling. “Are you Mission Vao?” She didn’t answer so he pressed on. “Gadon Thek said you could help us-”

“Help you? What? I don’t- How about you help me? I’m in the middle of a crisis right now - or were my screams too subtle for you?”

Aiden tried to reason with her. “Listen, why don’t you calm down and-”

“Calm down? You calm down! Zaalbar’s in trouble. They’re going to sell him into slavery!”

Rukil spoke, his voice a steady rock in the midst of turbulent emotions. “Mission, take a breath, and tell us what happened.” He breathed deeply, inviting her to join him. She complied and began again.

“Me and Zaalbar were just wandering the Undercity, y’know, looking for stuff we could sell, exploring. We do it all the time. But this time, they were waiting for us. Gamorrean slave hunters. We didn’t have a chance. Big Z threw himself on them and roared at me to run. I- I took off and figured he’d be right behind me, but there were too many of them. He couldn’t get away. They’re going to sell him to a slaver, I just know it!”

“Where did they take him?” Aiden asked. Carth noted his tone was smooth and strong, emulating the peace Rukil had demonstrated. Apparently Aiden learned quickly.

“I’m not sure, but we were near the sewers when they attacked us. We could start there.”

Carth glanced at Aiden, who shrugged.

“Please,” she drew out the word. “Nobody else will help me. The Beks won’t travel down here - Gadon says it’s too dangerous-”

“Of course he does,” Carth grumbled.

“-most of the villagers are too scared to go past the gates. You’re all I’ve got.”

Aiden met her eye, his words slow and deliberate. “If we help you rescue Zaalbar, will you help us infiltrate the Black Vulkar base?”

“Infiltrate their base? Sure, I could do that in my sleep.”

“Great, then show us the way.” Carth motioned for Mission to lead them. He saw Aiden hesitate, and waited for him.

“Thank you for the information, Rukil.” Aiden gave the elderly man a slight bow. He started to turn, when Rukil reached out his hand.

“Mister Ostar, do me a favor. While you’re traveling, please keep an eye out for my apprentice, Malya. She left the village a few days ago on an expedition and has not yet returned. My hope is she’s merely lost, and not... ” He trailed off, sadness filling his eyes.

“Of course. What does she look like?”

“Middle-aged. Light hair, blue eyes. She’ll probably have some books with her. If anything has happened, at least bring me those.”

Aiden nodded. “Got it. I’ll keep an eye out.”

Mission hopped from foot to foot, barely containing her anxiety. Carth called out, ready to get moving. “C’mon Ostar, let’s go rescue a Wookie.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your patience! We lost power last week and it's taken me a bit to catch up. So glad to finally post another chapter. :-)


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